The Drums Tickets

The Drums: Marching to the Beat of Their Own

Despite inescapable similarities to the Beach Boys and the fact that their falsetto-heavy first single was called 'Let's Go Surfing', make no mistake. The Drums are not just another beach-pop band. In fact, the band's paroxysmal debut single is in sharp contrast to much of their later work, which has an undercurrent of brooding angst and melancholy, 'us against the world' sentiment. The band's well-rounded repertoire and cool persona (influenced by wardrobes and hairstyles) illustrate that these guys clearly march to the beat of their own drums.

Schedule

In support of their September release, Encyclopedia, The Drums will march across the globe as part of an extensive tour lineup. Their concert schedule covers North American cities in Canada, the United States, and Mexico, as well as time spent touring South America, Europe, and Japan.

Trivia

The band's founders, Jonathan Pierce and Jacob Graham, met as pre-teens when they attended the same Bible camp. Years later, most of The Drums' first two albums, The Drums and Portamento, were recorded in the kitchen of vocalist Pierce's Brooklyn apartment.

Band

When self-described 'born losers and outcasts' Jonathan 'Johnny' Pierce and Jacob Graham met, they felt an instant kinship and became fast friends. The pair bonded over the shared dismal realities of their childhoods -- both grew up poor, and felt isolated as a result of being home-schooled. They've been making music together ever since -- as Goat Explosion, Elkland, and finally in 2008, as the electric/indie-pop band, The Drums.

The duo relocated from Florida to Brooklyn, N.Y., in 2009 and welcomed two new band members: drummer Connor Hanwick and guitarist Adam Kessler. In 2010, after the release of the band's self-titled debut album, Kessler abruptly and acrimoniously quit. The then-trio recorded their second album, Portamento, which was released in 2011. After the band's 2012 world tour in support of that album, during which tensions between band members flared, Hanwick quit. The Drums, for all intents and purposes, remained largely inactive until late 2013, when the founding members decided to give The Drums another go. They collaborated on album number three, Encyclopedia, which dropped September 2014.

Breakthrough

On the heels of its debut album, The Drums, the band gained a strong following the UK and was named one of 15 acts vying for BBC's Sound of 2010. They took spot five, and continued to enjoy accolades from the British press. This buzz gained them invites to play with the likes of Florence and the Machine and Kings of Leon. TV appearances in 2010 on Britain's Friday Night with Jonathan Ross and 2012 on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon in the states cemented their status as an up-and-coming band to watch on both sides of the pond.

Hit Albums

The Drums have released three albums: their sunshiny electro-pop self-titled debut album in June 2010, their darker and more introverted second album, Portamento, in September 2011, and the liberating Encyclopedia in September 2014. Unshackled and unapologetic, their latest offering boasts dynamic lyrics and, at times, slightly peculiar instrumentation (think tambourines and kick drums). Having been left to their own devices, Pierce and Graham have clearly come full circle. They're back, a bit battered and bruised perhaps, but with a vengeance.

Show Experience

A Drums show is a cacophony of excitement. Expect moments of feel-good, head-bopping, and toe-tapping electric pop that suddenly gives way to sobering, brooding renditions of songs about lost love, heartbreak, and hopelessness. A Drums show takes its audience on a fantastical journey of the highest highs and the lowest lows. There's upbeat triumph and hard-to-watch torment. In other words, a Drums show is a metaphor for life itself.